Means for dividing blocks of stone and like material



Sept. 14 I926. 1,599,519

A. GIBB MEANS FOR DIVIDING- BLOCKS OF STONE AND LIKE MATERIAL Filed Jug 2, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 v I i i l 26 a0 3 If 6 )8 I ai 18/ '1' 29' 4E 19 a? a6 ]2 [2M 36' A I z:-

if I'Iwemor, M a! A. GIBB Sept; 14, 1926. f 1,599,519

MEANS FOR DIVIDING BLOCKS 0F STONE AND LIKE IATERIAL led June 2, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 2 I n ventor, Mammal; 44:44-

Sept. 14 1926.

A. GIBB MEANS FOR DIVIDING BLOCKS 0F STONE AND LIKE MATERI L Filed June 2, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 0 2 2 i 25 a 1 I .I 20' j a Q 9Q o o O g o o .o o L 18 4 W 17w nfdr, fi J I Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNITED STAKES ALEXANDER GIBB, OF ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND.

MEANS FOR DIVIDING BLOCKS OF STONE AND LIKE MATERIAL.

Application filed June 2, 1925, Serial 1%. 34,3

This invention relates to improved means for effecting the division of blocks of stone or like hard material, such for example as freestone and sandstone, marble, syenite, or

granite (all of which, for thesake of convenience, are hereinafter referred to as stone), upon a single planeof cleavage, the object of the invention being to enable such blocks to be split, with substantlal accuracy, in a very rapid and economical manner.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example a convenient construction embodying the invention, Fig ure 1. is a front elevation of the apparatus, parts being broken away for the sake 'of convenience; Figure 2 is a side elevation looking from the right hand side of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 20 3-3 of Figure 1; and Figures 4 and 5 are vertical sections on lines 4:t'and 55 respectively of Figure 1. In these drawings, the apparatus is shown in readiness for operating upon a block of'stone,-but for the sake of clearness the block itself is omitted.

11 is the top knife, which is horizontal; 12 is the bottom. knife, which also is horizontal; and 13, 13 are the two lateral knives, both of which are vertical. Each knife consistsof a straight-edged flat blade set in, and projecting a suitable distance beyond the mouth of, a groove provided in a strong and rigid bar of metal 11, 12 or 13 as the case may be, this bar constituting a holder. The edge of each knife 11 and 12 is bevelled from the one side of the blade whilst the edge of each knife 13 is bevelled from the opposite side, the relative dispositionof the bevels in the respective knives being such that, whilst the cutting edges all extend in the plane of cleavage, the top blade 11 may overlap and is capable of sliding, if neces sary, in surface-contiguity with the lateral blade 13, whilst theselatter blades may overlap and are capable of sliding, if necessary, in surface-contiguity with both the top blade 11 and the bottom blade 12. The top knife 1.1 may extend, as shown, over the up er end of each lateral knife 13, and stunlat y the bottom knife 12 may extend 27, and in Great Britain September 29, 1924.

der the lower end of each lateral knife; and, in order that in such case the top knifeblade may, if necessary, descend past the upper end of each lateral blade 13, the holders 13 of these blades are notched at their upper endsas indicated at 14: in Figures 41 and 5. p The bottom knife holder 12 is clamped between a pair of horizontal channel-iron cheeks 15 and, together therewith, rests upon a series of cross girders 16 which are supported upon a suitable foundation (not shown). At either end of the cheeks 15 is erected a parallel pair of vertical stanchions 17 which serve as guides for the top knifeholder 11. and for'the tup l8 employed to deliver a blow thereon; the upper ends of all the stanchions 17 being braced together by a frame 19 carrying afpulley 20 over which passes a rope 21 for hoisting the tup 18 when necessary. The top knife-holder 11 is clamped between a pair of horizontal channel-iron cheeks 22 which fit slidably be tween the stanchions 17 and, together, with the holder 11 itself, present upwardly a level surface 23 adapted to receive the impact of the tup 18 when the latter is allowed to fall as hereinafter described. In order that the top knife 11 may be adjusted in close contact with thework prior to the fall of the tup 18, the lniife-holder 1.1 and cheeks 22 are bridgedtowards each end by a cross-bearer 24 through the ends of which; pass a pair of upright anchor-bolts .25 secured at 26 by their lower extremities to certain of the cross-girders 16, nuts 27 upon the threaded upper portions of the anchor-bolts 25 being adapted to bear down ward upon the cross-bearers 24 so as to force the knife 11 into contact with the'work.

A pair of angle-iron ties 28, which extend parallel with the top knife. 11 and connect together the stanchions 17*at opposite sides of the work, serve to counteract any tend: may of these stanchions to become outward- 95 ly bowed during working, as for instance under momentary strain due to the shock of the blowydelivered by the falling tup 18 the ties 28 being fo'rthis purpose adjusted to about the levelef the knife 11 by their 199 ends being bolted to the stanchions 17 at one or other of vertical series of holes 29 provided in. brackets 30 fixed to the stanchions, as indicated at the left-hand side of Figure 1.

Each lateral knife-holder 13 is guided, so as to inahtain the edge of. the corresponding knife .13 in the plane of cleavage, by the upper end of the holder 13 fitting slidably between a pair of guide plat'es 31 which are fixed to and project downward from the checks as of the top" lean-heater in, and also by the lower end of the holder 13 fitting slidably between similar pair of guideplates32 which are fixed to and project upwar'd from the cheeks 15 of the bottom knifeholdor 12; Boththe guide-plates 31 and 32ar'e adjustable lengthwise of thecheeks 22 and l5l'o suit the positions of th'elateral knife-holders 1'3; Priorto the fall of the tup 18, each lateral knife 13 is adjusted. invcontaet with the work, and the impact of the tup upon the cheeks 22 is transmittedto eachlateral knife-holder 13' by means of cam mechanism asv follows.

In rear of each lateral knife-holder 13*, a cam 33, rotatable in a vertical plane parallel to the plane of cleavage, is mounted upon a gudge'on-pin 34 supported in bearings 35 between a pair of uprights 36, whereof the lower ends are fixed to beams 36 entendi'ng alongside;of the cheeks 15 of the bottom knife-holder 12, whilst the upper ends "of the uprights 36 may be secured tothe ti'es 28; the nose of the cam 33 hearing from beneathagainst the back of the khife-holdcr 13 'Each cain comprises an outwardly-extending arm 37 having on its upper side a notch in which rests the rounded lo'we'r extremit'y of an upright rod 38 serving as a cam-actuator the upper end of which, by means of packing-pieces 39, is brought to such a level as just to fit beneath the cheeks 22 of the top knife-holder 11 when the top knife rests in contact withthe work prior to the fall of the tup 1 8. Whenthe tup drops upon the top knifesholder and checks 22 so as to cause the knife 11 to bite forcibly into the block of stone being dealt with, both the cam-actuators 38 are simultaneously driven downward so as to cause the cams 33 to force the lateral knife-holders 13 towards one another, with the result that the lateral knives are likewise caused to bite into theblock from opposite sides. It will be obvious that the pressure exert-ed by the top knife 11 upon the block will be transmitted therethrough so as to, cause thebottom knife 12 to bite into'the block from beneath. The uprights 36 are adjustable lengthwise of the beams 36 to suit the positions of the lateral knives 13, for which purpose the uprightsinay be bolted through slots 40 provided in the beams, as indicated in Figure 3. Similar slots (not shown) may be provided in the cheeks 15 and 22 for the adjustment of the positions of the guides 32 and 31.

The tup 18 is clamped between a pair of stretchers 41 the ends of which are so guided between the pair of stanchions 17 at each side of the apparatus as to ensure the tup moving in the plane of cleavage, whilst shoes 42 on the stretchers bear against the stahchiohs "at "opposite sides and thus prevent the tup from canting insaid plane. The tup is attached to the rope 21 thr'oiigh the medium of a vpair of releasable nip-hooks 43 which engage an eye 44 fixed in the upper side of the tup, the disengagement of the nip-nooks from the eye being effected manually by means of a lever 45 controlled by a cord 46 inthe well known manner. The rope 2-1 is led from the pulley 20 to a, winch (not shown) whereby the rope may be wound to raise the tup 18 when required;

Iclaim: 1-.,-I-n apparatus for dividing a block-of hard material such as stone upon a substantially vertical plane of cleavage, and comprising a vertically movable top knife and a pair, of lateral knives movable towards one another thesam'e vertical plane as the top knife; means for causing said lateral-knives to approach one another simultaneously with the descent of the top knife, consisting in the combinationof a pair of cams angularly movable about stationary axes in rear of the respective, lateral knives, each cam havingxa substantially horizontal arm and a nose adapted to be caused, by the descent of said arm, to'exert pressure against the rear of the adjacentlateral knife, upright rods resting upon said arms, a carrier for the top knife adapted to rest upon said rods, and a weighted tupadapted to be let fall upon said carrier for delivering a blow thereon.

2. Apparatus for dividinga block of hard material such as stone upon a substantially vertical plane of cleavage, comprising a bottom knife, a support therefor, a movable top knife having its e'dge in the same vertical plane as that of the bottom-knife, means for guiding thev vertical movement of the top knife in said plane, a pair of mutually-opposed movable lateral, knives having their edges in the same vertical plane as those of the bottom and topknives, mean for guid ing the horizontal movement of the lateral knives in said plane, stationary abutment;- members in rear of the respective lateral knives, ca-ins angularly movable about axes supported on said abutment-members, each cam having asubstantially horizontal arm and a nose adapted to be caused, by the descent of said ar'in,to exert pressure against the rearof the adjacent lateral knife, upright rods resting upon said arms, a carrier for the top knife adapted to rest upon said rods, and a weighted tup movable by gravity vertically in guides for delivering a blow on said carrier, substantially as set forth.

3. In apparatus as claimed in claim 2, means for initially adjusting the top knife upon the Work, comprising crossbearers straddling the carrier of the top knife, a pair of upright screw-bolts for each cross-bearer,

anchored to the support of the bottom knife 7 and extending on opposite sides cf the common plane of the knife-edges, and nuts adjustably engaging said screw-bolts and adapted to bear downward upon said crossbearers, substantially as set forth.

ALEXANDER GIBB. 

